Saturday, February 25, 2012

She was wearing hers the last time I saw her, and I've been playing with shawl construction lately, so she asked if I wanted to give the pattern a test prior to the release, and yes I did. It felt great to knit someone else's design for a change, and the miles of stockinette were great for a few social evenings without worrying about making a mistake!

The design is very simple, but totally brilliant. Ann's added these little "wings" to the ends of the shawl that drape down when hanging out, and stay put when wrapped over a shoulder. Yes, they really do stay put. I even washed dishes in it -- I had such faith, and it was too cozy to take off, truth be told. It's the perfect size for free hands and warm shoulders.

The design itself is great mindless knitting once set up, and the perfect excuse to knit up a batch of stash! I've had this bunch of Kathmandu Tweeds for years - not exactly enough for a sweater, but definitely enough for a big wrap or scarf. Because I used stash, my stripes didn't match Ann's intended pattern stripes (I had to improvise, and I ran out of a few colors), but I like the final combination, and am proud to have used these up without purchasing more yarn. (If I had purchsed yarn, I think I'd have made thinner,darker stripes, but I was trying to conserve purple and had a lot of light green to go through.)

Either way, I think with a white shirt and jeans, it'll get worn. And when MadMen and Game of Thrones start up in the next few months, I'm all set for my soft and cozy TV wrap. So, not only to I have a new scarf, but I've learned a new method of wrap construction, used up some stash, and had an extra excuse to chat with Ann on the internet. A great knit!